Flicker Fans! Well, it’s been quite some time since I’ve hollered at ya! Been awhile since we’ve wrapped a little about movies. Been a minute since I’ve essentially lectured my opinion about a film. Why? Who knows? Life happens, but I’m back. Back to try and finish the year strong with a few reviews coming your way. A quick fix on what I thought was going to be a pretty big hit, but didn’t quite deliver the presents that I thought it was going to. I’m talking about Bad Santa 2 (see what I did there?). Let’s jump in shall we?
Written by Johnny Rosenthal (The Convention? Some short that’s on his IMDB page. Who does he know that he got a writing credit for this film). Shauna Cross (What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and If I Stay), and based on the characters created by Glenn Ficarra, and John Requia. The movie also featured some amazing talent. Returning and introducing new characters in this movie, BS2 stars Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox and Christina Hendrinks (we also have Brett Kelly reprising his role as Thurman Merman, but we’ll get to that). So let’s jump in right away and ask the important question; How the fu*k did this movie get made?
Oh…I’m sorry, did I offend you with my crass language and abrupt question? Deal with it. That’s basically what you’re going to get if you decide to see this movie. Crass language, dialogue that’s foul, and insulting humor. Which (ironically) doesn’t really set the tone for the Christmas spirit like its predecessor did. Weird to say right? But that’s the truth.
Listen, I liked the first one. A LOT. I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of the movie. I like dark humor and stuff that can make me laugh without knowing what to expect, but this movie seemed to be reaching. LIKE REALLY REACHING! Think of something horrible to say and that’s what was said. Think of an impossible scenario and that’s what would come about. This movie was (bear with me), not the greatest–but I still found myself laughing.
Maybe it’s the way Billy Bob Thornton cusses or the back and forth that he has with Tony Cox. Maybe it was the way they worked Brett Kellys character into the movie again, “The Return of Thurman Merman.” No….that’s not it. Honestly, I think the story could have done without him. Sure it added a bit of sentimental value to the film, but it seemed…..well, it seemed….really, really out there. Here is this hardened criminal that has somehow kept in touch with this “sad sack” of a human being over the past 10-13 years and they’re “friends?” FU*K you……I’m sorry, but FU*K you. (j/k like I said, it did add a little “nostalgia” to the film).
Honestly, the best part about this film was the addition of Kathy Bates as Billy Bob Thorntons characters mother. She is good in just about everything that she does and this is no exception. To watch her bounce from a facade of a person in the movie to who she really is was just fun. The slew of insults that came hemorrhaging out of her mouth when she spoke was nothing short of shocking, offensive and repulsive–and I loved it.
Overall, I think why this movie hasn’t done very well is because nothing in it is a surprise anymore. We, as the public (for the most part), didn’t know what to expect from the first one. With this one, we kind of knew what was going to happen and what to expect. Sure we didn’t know the exact plot, but we knew what we were getting into. So here it is Flicker Fans, I enjoyed the movie (on a very superficial level). It gave the cheap laughs, it (tried) to give the warm Christmas feelings, and it did however fall short of what should have been delivered. I would probably recommend this to be a rental. Why? Because there is SO many other films that you should be watching and or getting ready for. Keep in mind, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is JUST around the corner (just in time for your real Christmas present). Hopefully Santa will deliver on this present.